Supercooling means that a liquid such as water is not transited to a solid but maintained in a high temperature phase, namely, a liquid phase even below a phase transition temperature to the solid. Water drops can be supercooled in the natural state. In addition, water or beverages may be incidentally supercooled in a general refrigerator. A freezing method disclosed under Japan Laid-Open Patent Official Gazette S59-151834 and a freezing method and a refrigerator disclosed under Japan Laid-Open Patent Official Gazette 2001-086967 apply the supercooling principle to the refrigerator. An electric field or a magnetic field is applied to foods of the refrigerator, so that the foods can be maintained in a supercooled state below a phase transition temperature. An electrostatic field processing method disclosed under International Publication Official Gazette WO/98/41115 suggests various types of electrode structures that can be used to supercool and thaw foods.
FIG. 1 is a structure view illustrating a refrigerator including a dispenser disclosed under Korea Laid-Open Patent Official Gazette 2001-0107286. The refrigerator 100 includes the dispenser 120 on a freezing chamber door 110. The dispenser 120 has operation levers 140 and a support 150 on an outlet unit 130.
FIG. 2 is a structure view illustrating a refrigerator including a dispenser disclosed under Korea Laid-Open Patent Official Gazette 2003-0050929. The refrigerator 200 includes the dispenser 220 on a refrigerating chamber door 210.
FIG. 3 is a structure view illustrating another example of the refrigerator including the dispenser. The refrigerator 300 includes a freezing chamber 310 and a refrigerating chamber 320. An ice maker 330 is installed in the freezing chamber 310, and the dispenser 350 is installed on the freezing chamber door 340. A passage 360 is formed to supply water to the ice maker 330 and the dispenser 350, and connected to an external water supply source (not shown). A first valve 370, a filter 380 and a second valve 390 are disposed on the passage 360. The first valve 370 controls water supply from the external water supply source to the refrigerator 300, the filter 380 filters water, and the second valve 390 controls water supply to the ice maker 330 and the dispenser 350. On the other hand, the first valve 370 and the second vale 390 are controlled by a control unit (not shown) of the refrigerator 300. The passage 360 includes a passage 361 for supplying water to the dispenser 350. Water flowing through the passage 361 is cooled by heat exchange with the freezing chamber 310, and discharged through an outlet 362 of the passage 361 or an outlet 351 of the dispenser 350.
FIGS. 4 and 5 are structure views illustrating a dispenser of a refrigerator disclosed under Korea Laid-Open Patent Official Gazette 2005-0051977. The dispenser 400 is installed on a freezing chamber door filled with an insulator 410, and includes a water tank 430. The water tank 430 cools water by exchanging heat with a freezing chamber side 440. The insulator 410 is filled between the water tank 430 and the freezing chamber side 440 for heat exchange. On the other hand, the dispenser 400 includes a heater 450 at the opposite side to the freezing chamber side 440 on the basis of the water tank 430. The heater 450 is used to control a temperature of water in the water tank 430.
FIGS. 6 and 7 are structure views illustrating a dispenser of a refrigerator disclosed under Korea Laid-Open Patent Official Gazette 2005-0051972. The dispenser 600 is installed on a freezing chamber door 620 filled with an insulator 610, and includes a water tank 630. The water tank 630 cools water by exchanging heat with a freezing chamber side 640. In addition, the dispenser 600 includes a heater 650 at the opposite side to the freezing chamber side 640 on the basis of the water tank 630. The heater 650 is used to control a temperature of water in the water tank 630, or melt the water frozen due to long time non-use of the dispenser 600. On the other hand, the dispenser 600 includes a temperature sensor 660 for such an operation. The water tank 630 includes a groove 670 on which the temperature sensor 660 can be mounted.
However, the conventional apparatus for cooling does not provide an apparatus for making a supercooled liquid, an apparatus for making slush from a supercooled liquid, an apparatus for preventing supercooling release of a stored supercooled liquid, and an apparatus for restoring supercooling release.
In addition, in the dispenser of the conventional refrigerator, the heater is used to prevent freezing of water. If water is frozen, the frozen state is released by the heater. As a result, the temperature of water increases in the refrigerator serving to lower the temperature.